Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 50

Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 50 people, many of them women and children, the territory’s Health Ministry said Thursday. The deadly strikes tore into residential buildings, a police station and a tent for displaced Palestinians, among other locations.

One strike in northern Gaza killed at least 18 people, and another killed 11, including at least one child, according to Palestinian health officials. The Israeli military said the strike on the police station targeted a militant command center.

Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground war more than a month ago. It has sealed off Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians from all food and other imports since the beginning of March to pressure Hamas to release hostages. About two dozen hostages are still believed to be alive.

Meanwhile a tank driver was killed and another soldier severely wounded during combat in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.

Trump wants ban on transgender members to take effect, for now

President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to allow enforcement of a ban on transgender people in the military, while legal challenges proceed.

Without an order from the nation’s highest court, the ban could not take effect for many months, Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote, “a period far too long for the military to be forced to maintain a policy that it has determined, in its professional judgment, to be contrary to military readiness and the nation’s interests.”

The high-court filing follows a brief order from a federal appeals court that kept in place a court order blocking the policy nationwide.

At the least, Sauer wrote, the court should allow the ban to take effect nationwide, except for the seven service members and one aspiring member of the military who sued.

The court gave lawyers for the service members challenging the ban a week to respond.

Judge rules Trump administration violated settlement

A federal judge nominated by President Donald Trump ordered his administration to facilitate the return of a man who was deported to El Salvador last month despite having a pending asylum application.

U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher in Maryland ruled Wednesday that the government violated a 2019 settlement agreement when it deported the 20-year-old man, a Venezuelan native identified only as Cristian in court papers.

Gallagher cited another federal judge’s order for the government to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who had been living in Maryland and was deported accidentally to his native El Salvador on March 15, the same day as Cristian.

Politician pardoned, paid for surgery with funds to honor officer

President Donald Trump has pardoned a Nevada Republican politician who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges that she used money meant for a statue honoring a slain police officer for personal costs, including plastic surgery.

Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for state treasurer, was found guilty in October of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was out of custody before her sentencing, which had been scheduled for next month.

In a lengthy statement Thursday on Facebook, the Trump supporter expressed gratitude to the president while also accusing the U.S. government and “select media outlets” of a broad, decade-long conspiracy to “target and dismantle” her life.

India, Pakistan ramp up tit-for-tat spat amid tensions

India and Pakistan cancelled visas for their citizens to each other’s countries, and Islamabad warned New Delhi for suspending a water-sharing treaty Thursday.

The moves came after India blamed Pakistan for a deadly attack by gunmen that killed 26 people in disputed Kashmir.

India said all visas issued to Pakistanis will be revoked with effect from Sunday, adding that all Pakistanis currently in India must leave before their visas expire based on the revised timeline. The country also announced other measures, including cutting the number of diplomatic workers, closing the only functional land border crossing between the countries and suspending a crucial water-sharing agreement.

Man shot, killed in police incident

A 30-year-old man was shot dead by police outside Toronto’s Pearson Airport on Thursday morning, officials said, in what was described as an isolated incident with no further threat to public safety.

Peel regional police officers were investigating a “man in distress” in an SUV at the Terminal 1 departures level just before 7 a.m. local time, Ontario’s police watchdog said.

Student arrested after fatally stabbing another student

A high school student stabbed four other students at his school in western France on Thursday, killing at least one and wounding three before being arrested, police said. The motive for the stabbing was unclear.

France’s prime minister, Francois Bayrou, ordered tighter security outside and inside schools nationwide and called for new proposals within four weeks for preventing and punishing knife violence by teens and children.

Former president accused of bribery

South Korean prosecutors indicted former liberal President Moon Jae-in on bribery charges Thursday, saying a budget airline gave his son-in-law a lucrative no-show job during Moon’s term in office.

Moon’s indictment adds him to a long list of South Korean leaders who have faced trials or scandals at the close of their terms or after leaving office.

Prosecutors allege that Moon, who served as president from 2017-22, received bribes totaling $151,705 from Lee Sang-jik, founder of the budget carrier Thai Eastar Jet, in the form of wages, housing expenses and other financial assistance provided to Moon’s then-son-in-law from 2018-20.

South Korean media reported that Moon’s daughter and her husband were divorced in 2021.

The Jeonju District prosecutors’ office said Lee was indicted on charges of paying bribes to Moon.

— Denver Post wire services